AN AWAKENING OF PUBLIC SENTIMENT. 293 



AN AWAKENING PUBLIC SENTIMENT. 

 Walter J. Morrill, Professor of Forestry of Nebraska University. 



The destruction of our forests by fires liad proceeded to sucti an 

 alarming extent that a few years ago a well-known statesman is credited 

 with the following prophecy. 



"The more study and attention I have given the matter the jBrmer has 

 become my conviction that the destruction of the forests of this country 

 by fire will be the downfall of its prosperity and progress." 



Recently, however, there has developed a strong public sentiment in 

 certain portions of the country that is responsible for a vigorous curbing 

 of the evil. After years of agitation and hesitation the federal govern- 

 ment began in a small way to afford genuine protection to a portion of 

 its timber lands in the West. It went further than merely enacting 

 penalties for careless or wantonly setting forest fires. Such laws had 

 been enacted and unenforced for many years, just as other laws that look 

 well on the statutes, but are practically unworkable, may be found in 

 most of the states. The federal government established national forests 

 and employed men whose chief duty is to prevent forest fires. The usual 

 fire warden system of most states had been and still is a failure; the fed- 

 eral government established a fire patrol system, and here is the secret of 

 success. 



During the past twenty years the national forests have been in- 

 creased until now a considerable measure of fire protection is afforded to 

 over 190 millions of acres, an area as great as the combined areas of 

 New England, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Mary- 

 land, Virginia, West Virginia, and Ohio. Within this vast do- 

 main about 3,000 federal forest officers are employed the year around, and 

 the number of patrolmen are somewhat increased during the summer 

 season. They are charged with the protection of 500 billion feet of timber 

 worth on the stump at least 500 million dollars. This is about one-fifth of 

 all the standing timber in the United States. 



Does it pay to protect this vast wealth represented in timber? The 

 cost for fire patrol alone on the national forests last year amounted to 

 only about 6 mills per acre; or, based on the estimated value of the tim- 

 ber, and including the value burned, it may be likened to a premium 

 amounting to 21^ mills on the dollar. 



What are the fire losses without fire protection? During the past 

 half century, practically without fire protection, the United States has 

 suffered an average of 2 per cent of its timbered areas. On much of this 

 area, however, the large trees are not destroyed, but the seedlings are 

 burned off annually. While the areas burned over in recent years are not 

 so extensive as formerly, the values consumed probably continue to be as 

 much as formerly. In Prussia, between 1868 and 1895 with forest fire pro- 

 tection, only one-fiftieth of 1 per cent on the forested area burned annually, 

 or only one-one-hundredth as great a percentage as in the United States. 



